Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-27
THE GREAT STRIKE
WHAT The AFFAIR HAS COST.
Nearly $25OOOOO Lost to the Men in
Wages.

CHICAGO, June 25.-The great strike o.
the bricklayers has ended, so far as the
men are concerned. 1t now remains t.
see whether the bosses will take the mer
back as the demands of the employers re.
celved no consideration whatever at the
meeting at which the strike was declared
off, as will be seen by the following resOlu
tons, only passed by small majority
ResOlUed, That we withdraw our demand
for the Saturday payday and declare tn,
strike of.
The resolution was accompanied by ont
explanation that its passage was not sigI
of weakening, and that a good many a
first opposed to il because it would create
that impression, but other reasons prevail
ed,
As the enacting clause in the materia
mems and contractors agreement readr
During the strike" the removal Of thu
cause of the strike lets them out. Thu
men claim the stone pool Is the power il
the lockout, and in pursuance of the adyics
Of some of the best lawyers and Judges II
the city suits will be Immediately institut
ed against all the dealers in the combina
ton, the end of the strike leaving them NJ
excuse for combining. Should the Losses
attempt to do anything to deprive the mer
OF the eight-hour system they swear they
will 90 out for two years.
Few would think what loss and misery
have been brought on those least able to
afford it by the demand of the bricklayers
that they be paid Saturday instead of Mon
day or Tuesday, SO that the saloons might
get the money that ought to 60 to their
families.
Following is history of the strike, and
careful estimate of some of the losses it
involved:
Ia January the Carpenters Council,
representing all the branches of the car
penters' unions, began preparations for a
general strike so soon as the building sea-
son was well under way. April was
the date fixed for general strike of all the
union carpenters, and the programme was
carried out to the letter. Fully 4, 200 car
penters quit work, and trade was COM
pletely paralyzed until April Is, when q
treaty was made with sham contractors
organization and the majority Of the men
returned to work upon various terms.
Loss in wages, at $3.50 day, $3.50, 900.
From April Is to June about 500 car
penters were idle owing to the strike Of
the hOdcaIriers and bricklayers. Loss in
wages, SAT, 800. At about this time the
carpenters began to feel the full effect of
the bricklayers' strike. New buildings
were entirely stopped and hundreds of car
penters were rendered idle every week.
From June / to June % it would be safe
to estimate that ., 500 carpenters have been
idle. Loss in wages, $l37, 500. Total
from April 4 to June -, 1906, 600.
The victory claimed by the carpenters,
April Is, so enthused the Hodcarriers'
Union that they could not refrain from
making demand. They announced that
on and after May they should demand
80 cents an hour for bricklayers' laborers
and 80 cents an hour for plasterers' labor
ers This was done, with the result that
4, 600 laborers and hOdcarriers were idle
from May to June %, forty-eight days at
81 day. Total loss in wages, 1884, 900.
1t is true, as elaine by the officers of the
union, that in many cases their members
secured work upon bitches and the streets,
but only by displacing other men who were
Obliged in consequence to remain idle.
At . o'clock Saturday morning, April
80, ninety-eigh of the 4, 900 members of
the Bricklayers' Union decided by vote
of 66 to 80 to make formal demand for a
Saturday payday. The sixty-six members
who were responsible for this action con-
stitute the gang" of the Bricklayers'
Union, and should be held directly re-
sponsible for the calamitOus results which
have followed. The Master MasOns' As
ISOLATION, realizing that Saturday payday
meant Sunday-and generally a Monday
and Tuesday-drunk, decided not to grant
the request. They informed the union TO
that effect, and further said that it was
almost impossible to make up the payroll
upon that day. This did not satisfy the
walking delegates of the Bricklayers'
Union. At the next meeting the Ger
mans, who did not fully understand the
situation, were bulldozed and inveigled
into ratifying the decision of the gang
which had full sway at the previous meet
ing. Thursday, May II, fully $500
bricklayers were idle and with few excep-
tions have been so since. A safe estimate
would be that 1900 bricklayers were idle
from MAY IL to June 25-thirty. eight
days at $500 q day. Total loss in wages
$40, 400.
The most conspicuous victims Of the
series of strikes Just enumerated have been
the brick manufacturers and their EN-
ployes. They realized when the brick
layers strike began that their only saliva
ton lay in suspending work. This was
generally done May 13, and the yards are
now Just commencing work with the hope
that the strike has worn itself out. Ten
thousand men were directly affected by
this involuntary lockout, which lasted
thirty-four working days, with about the
following result: One thousand skilled
brickmakers, S. day for thirty-iour DAYS,
$40, 900; 5000 laborers at $l.75 day,
$476, 900; 1000 teamsters at 81 a day,
Sl36, 900. Total loss in wages $7S2, 600.
The manufacturers are losers by thous-
ands of dollars on account of the expense
in keeping the horses employed IN the
yards.
The stoneyards have felt the effect OF the
strike severely, although there has been no
trouble between the employers and their
men. Fully 1000 stonecutters earning 81
day have been laid off for thirty days, a
loss in wages of $l2O,0O0. Five hundred
galvanized iron cornice men earniag IS
day; 500 gravel roOiers at 81 30 day; 200
plasterers at 81 day; $50 fathers at y 80
a day; 600 painters at s.. 50 a day. 1t is
estimated by the mill men that in eonse-
nuence of the strike it has been necessary
70 discharge 900 mill hands, who will
average $3.50 day. The 5ame condition
nreyails in the local iron industry. The
foundries making n speciality of architect
nral iron work have in many cases shut
down. Five hundred molders earning %
a day is low estimate.
The following table contains few items
that are necessarily gaess work, but are
certainly not exaggerated
Ghr ptii Li. ............... 3Sl 900
hGlGiil, .....,.. 10000
Briek r .............. $4,000
Din o. ..,............- $4,000
irnn work 5000
Saa,,ai rocferS ....,............... 1880
SLa.er - ......... $1,000
~ -.........,,................ 1900
Latuetss .....,...... 5000
IIii 49, secs ..,,,..... 1000
MI, NJ, ,..,... 5000
5,oto .aforS 5000
S S.stss h,jiSarS -.............,...-. GOO
Stslll , ~ - a,,Ti.5ss ......, 1000
LuihDS 'N ........... 5000
csnaThostrnan ................. $3.50